Special to Iredell Free News

Third Creek Middle School Resource Officer Jason Kohnstamm has a new partner.

Creek, a 2-year-old English Labrador Retriever, is the fifth Iredell County Sheriff’s Office canine officer to be assigned to Iredell-Statesville Schools. Deputy Kohnstamm and his new partner recently completed training that included advanced obedience, building searches, tracking, article detection, narcotics detection, and emotional support.

The ICSO canines have had a significant positive impact on the daily attitudes and behaviors of students in the schools where they work. 

“We are grateful for Dr. Jeff James and the Iredell-Statesville School Board for continuing to make proactive choices in adding additional canines in the schools,” Sheriff Darren Campbell said. “Having these dogs in the school also opens the door for conversations with their School Resource Officer that otherwise may not have happened.”